


Practically Magical

by Merlioske



Category: Merlin (TV), Practical Magic (1998)
Genre: Abusive Relationship (not Merthur), Angst with a Happy Ending, Children, F/F, F/M, Gaius and Alice are siblings, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Little Village by the Sea, M/M, Merlin and Morgana are Siblings, Merlioske-friendly, Merthur and Morgwen End Game, Minor Character Death, Modern AU, Modern times, Practical Magic Fusion, Slow Burn, ancient family curse, anywho, basically one of my fav movies but make it Merthur, because it just /fits/ so perfectly?, bless shower ideas, jk jk tho i actually love them, like good gods fuck the shower ideas right ?!?, no need to have watched the movie, sorta - Freeform, tags are not being cooperative with me, this is gonna be a Movie Rewritten, with magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:15:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merlioske/pseuds/Merlioske
Summary: The Ambrosius' family has always been... Different. Strange.In whispers, they're called Witches.In whispers more quiet, they're warned against - rumor has it, if you love an Ambrosius, you're not long for this world.Merlin knew about the curse on their family since he and Morgana were children. The curse had, after all, taken their father and broken their mother's heart.Merlin knew about the curse. Merlin had sworn to never suffer their mother's fate. After all, if you never fall in love, you can't possibly die of a broken heart, can you...?
Relationships: Cenred/Morgana (Merlin), Freya/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is a fusion of Merlin and the movie Practical Magic. I absolutely adored that movie since i was a tiny lil baby and i... look, i was taking a shower and some parallels got slammed in my face and i really, /really/ just Needed to make this a Thing. so here it is.  
> i make no profit and am writing this purely for my and maybe (hopefully) others' enjoyment~
> 
> as always, my biggest of thank yous to the magnificent [Pelydryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pelydryn/pseuds/Pelydryn) for a gorgeous beta job. <333

~x~

Their mother had always been special. With her raven locks and her golden sparking eyes and her exuberant laughter.

That's how Merlin and Morgana always remembered her too. Laughing happily as their father spun her round and round and round, her skirts flying and fwooshing around them in waves.

She'd make fireworks explode over the beach in the summer with a blink of her eye and fireflies buzz out of thin air over their beds at night. She'd brew tonics for colds and salves for bruised knees. She'd weave lavender in Morgana's bracelet for when her nighttime visions grew too vivid and make Merlin mint tea for when he felt just a little _too_ much, ran a little _too_ hot. She'd sing, too. Well, hum. Singing was more their father's thing. His deep, soothing voice always calming. Always grounding. Always. And then… 

For as long as they could remember, their aunt and uncle would tell them the story of their family. Instead of goodnight tales, instead of lullabies, that’s what they’d heard. And for as long as they could remember, it would always start the same way.

Morgana would take Merlin by the hand and whisper for him to close his eyes. Then, when their aunt and uncle would begin to speak, images would twirl into existence behind their closed eyelids one by one.

_It would begin, always, with a field, filled with grim looking people. And with gallows, occupying the center of the field. On those gallows, a young woman would stand, a noose loosely wrapped around her neck._

“For more than two hundred years, we, the Ambrosius family, have been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong in this village,” Uncle Gaius would start.

“Is that why people hate us so much, Uncle Gaius?” Merlin would inquire, his favorite dragon plushie gripped tight in one arm and his sister’s hand squeezed in the other.

“They don’t hate us, sweetheart, we just make them a little nervous.” Aunt Alice would smile reassuringly and pat them both on the cheeks.

_The people around the gallows were all scowling, all the time. Women, much more so than the men, who only looked...forlorn and lost and more than a few, completely broken-hearted._

Uncle Gaius would snort then, shake his head and continue. “Let’s face it, Al, we Ambrosius’ have always created a stir. And it all started with our ancestor Nimueh. She, you see, was a---”

“Witch!” Morgana would whisper, and Uncle Gaius’ lips would twitch into a smile.

“Yes, a witch. She was the one to start us. You, dear ones, would be the most recent in a long, and distinguished, line.”

“Is that… is that why they wanted to hang her?” Merlin’s voice would always, _always_ break on that. “Because she was a witch?”

“Well, the fact that Nimueh was a bit of a heartbreaker certainly didn’t help.” Gaius would chuckle. “Nor did it help that most of her lovers had wives on the hanging committee.”

_The woman with the noose would look over them all, a serene sort of look on her beautiful, pale face, her long locks billowing around her with the soft wind._

“Well _I_ don’t think it was either of those reasons,” Aunt Alice would continue, giving Uncle Gaius A Look, and making both Merlin and Morgana giggle. They too, had A Look between them and knew perfectly well what the use of it was. “ _I_ think they feared her because she had a gift. A power that had been passed on to you, children. She had the gift of Magic. And it was this very gift that saved her life.”

_Before they could sentence her, she’d step off the stool herself, and the noose would snap, and she’d land on the ground, safe and sound. The people around would scatter like dust in the wind, screeching in fear, making her smirk in defiance, her bright blue eyes dancing with golden sparks._

“Failing to kill her, they banished her to this very village, her unborn child growing inside her belly.” Uncle Gaius would usually pause there, to make both children some warm milk before continuing. “Here, she waited for her lover to come and rescue her.”

“...but he never came,” Merlin would tell Morgana in a whisper, and she’d nod sagely, a sad, mournful look on her face.

“No one came.” Uncle Gaius, when he so chose, could be single-mindedly brutal. 

“In a moment of despair, Nimueh cast a spell on herself, that she would never again feel the agony of love.” Aunt Alice would plop a teaspoon of honey into their cups then and with a single spark of gold in her eyes, the spoons would mix the honey up until it melted. “As her bitterness grew, the spell, well… it turned into a curse. A curse upon anyone who ever dared to love an Ambrosius.”

“So is that why Daddy died? From the curse?” Morgana would mumble through a mouthful of honeyd milk, and Aunt Alice would pat her cheek gently as Uncle Gaius would nod and continue.

“Yes, my darling. Your mother knew. She heard the beetle ticking for your father’s death all day long. She knew that when you hear the sound of the Death-Watch Beetle, the person you love is doomed to die.”

Aunt Alice would always smile then, taking their, now empty, cups and fluffing up their pillows for them. “But that’s how you came to live with us; we tucked you into our lives and raised you the best way we knew how.”

Merlin and Morgana would grin at each other - the greeting of ‘ _In this house, we have chocolate cake for breakfast. And we never bother with silly little things like bedtime or brushing our teeth!’_ always ringing in their ears at that part of the story.

“But with the sweets, comes the sour.” Aunt Alice’s smile would drop then, even as she continued trying for a brave face. “So when you find yourself the center of attention, it’s not that they hate you. It’s that, well… we’re different.”

~x~

Morgana’s skirts were trailing after her like waves on sand, and she ran, a joyous grin on her face. Merlin was running behind her, his eyes more on the other side of the fence where a crowd of the village’s children were gathering. He hoped Morgana wouldn’t notice them. No such luck.

“Hello.”

Merlin winced internally. His sister was far too damn social.

“Would you like to play?” she asked them, a smile still open and wide across her face. 

The kids stayed silent and just _stared_. Merlin moved closer to Morgana, anticipating what was about to come next before it did. He was still too slow to shield her from the apple that hit her straight on the forehead and knocked her to the ground. He was, thankfully, close enough to catch her as she fell.

“‘Gana!” He lowered her down slowly, just as the chant picked up.

“Witch witch - you’re a bitch! Witch witch - you’re a bitch! Witch witch - you’re a bitch!”

Merlin picked Morgana up, his blood boiling, eyes sparking golden fury, barely contained, and carried her back to the house as she hid her face in his neck and doused his tee shirt in quiet, hot tears.

Silence reigned over the table where the four Ambrosiuses sat. Gaius and Alice exchanged a glance before both raising their cups and taking a sip.

“Morgana, Merlin,” Aunt Alice started, waiting until both teens raised their eyes to her and continued. “You know, the only curse in this family?” She gave a little dainty chin thrust over to where Uncle Gaius was sitting. “Is sitting right down there at the end of the table.”

Merlin and Morgana gave a little giggle, while Gaius sputtered. 

“Oh come on, Al, even you _have_ to admit that anyone who falls for one of us is bound to end up six feet under,” he stated morosely, taking another sip of his tea.

“Spare me!” Aunt Alice waved her brother off.

“What about my poor Leila?” Gaius sent her way, his eyebrow raised in the way that always managed to impress his niece and nephew.

“An accident!” Aunt Alice said assuredly, turning to nod at both Merlin and Morgana in turn.

“Pish posh! It was fate.” Uncle Gaius disagreed firmly.

“Accident!”

“Fate!”

“Accident!”

“Fate!”

Merlin watched the verbal ping-pong match intently before uttering, “Mommy died of a broken heart, didn’t she?”

Uncle Gaius nodded, offering him a sad little smile. “Yes, my darling boy, she did.”

“Hey, my sweet little witch,” Aunt Alice interrupted the settling morose mood with her sunny expression, “let’s go inside and do some spells.”

“What about my homework?” Merlin asked, his lips twitching up a little in the corners already.

“Ah, pish posh. You will both learn things in this house that you will never learn in school!” Uncle Gaius huffed, jumping spryly to his feet and herding Merlin inside, while Aunt Alice led Morgana with just the smallest of pokes to her shoulder and arm, making her niece giggle. 

~x~

It was a regular school night, so, naturally, both Merlin and Morgana were dressed in their pure white angel attires, complete with the sparkling haloes (very much magic) and fluffy feathery wings (not so much magic).

They had just had their evening chocolate cupcakes and were now practicing their spells.

Merlin closed his eyes, focused and blew softly at a wick of a candle. A second later, it crackled and burst into a beautiful little flame. Merlin whooped in joy.

“Very good, Merlin! You know, you’ve been blessed with a gift,” Aunt Alice cheered, clapping joyously at his progress and never stopping spinning her wheel. 

“What about me? All I got are those stupid visions…” Morgana pouted from where she was perched crouching atop the table like a kitten.

“Oh, we don’t worry about you, Morgana-dove, your other talents will emerge in time,” Uncle Gaius soothed her, collecting dried sage bundles from a perch he’d been drying them on.

Morgana grinned, and Merlin sent her a conspiratorial wink in turn. There were very mature giggles all around then, right up until frantic knocks began at their kitchen door. The knocks were soon followed by the sound of nails, rapping on the kitchen door’s window.

“Merlin-dear, you two stay here, keep working on those spells.” Uncle Gaius stood, already moving towards the kitchen, Aunt Alice on his heels.

There was a woman, still rapping her nails on the window when they arrived. Aunt Alice and Uncle Gaius exchanged another Look, and nodded to one another quickly.

“Get the bird,” Aunt Alice said softly, her face grim.

“Get the book,” Uncle Gaius snorted in response, moving to their conservatory already where he grabbed a pigeon from their cage.

Aunt Alice, meanwhile, rustled up their ancestral Grimoire, placing it reverently on the table and opening the page they’d need unerringly. After all, it wasn’t the first time they had _this_ particular situation on hand.

“I want him so _so_ much. I can’t think about anything else I don’t sleep I ---”

The voice trailed up to the stair landing where Merlin and Morgana sneaked down to watch their aunt and uncle work.

“He has to leave his wife he has to he has to leave her _now_.”

They huddled behind the railings, watching through the bars as Aunt Alice threaded a needle and a woman they’d seen around the village sat at the table, wringing her hands.

“Perhaps, you might find one better suited…?” Aunt Alice suggested softly. She was always much more soft while dealing with their clients than Uncle Gaius, Merlin had noticed. Morgana would always echo their uncle’s eyerolls however, making Merlin snicker.

“N-no, I don’t want anyone else! He’s a-all I think about! I---” The woman was nearing hysterical fast. “Why the hell else would I come here!?” 

Uncle Gaius approached then, a pigeon in his hands, and he absently ran a finger over the bird’s head in soothing little motions. “Take the money, Al,” he instructed his sister quietly, stopping beside the seated woman.

As soon as a rolled up bundle of cash dropped to the table, Aunt Alice handed over a silver tipped needle to the woman, who took it with a shaky hand and turned towards the bird, held out to her by Uncle Gaius.

“I want him to want me so much he can’t stand it,” she said, her voice strong with conviction but still shaky, and she plunged the needle into the pigeon’s heart.

Merlin gasped, and hid his face in Morgana’s neck. Morgana, meanwhile, watched the scene closely, her eyes gleaming.

Aunt Alice took the needle, looked at the single drop of blood, gleaming at the tip and smiled serenely. “Be careful what you wish for.”

On the stair landing, Merlin was shaking his head, his whole frame wracked with shivers. “I hope I never fall in love, I hope I never fall in love, I hope I never fall in love…” he whispered over and over and over, hiding his face in Morgana’s skirts.

“I can’t _wait_ to fall in love,” Morgana whispered back, patting his head softly.

~x~

It was nearing midnight, and it was past their bedtime even by uncle and aunt’s standards. Merlin was alone in the conservatory, his only lightsource the light of a full, white moon shining brightly through the open terrace door.

“He will hear my call a mile away,” Merlin read carefully from his Grimoire, plucking a night-blooming flower from one of the many, many pots littered about the conservatory and plopping it into his mortar.

“He will whistle my favourite song.” A different bloom joined the first.

“He will be able to ride a pony backwards.” A third bloom dropped in.

Morgana wandered in then, their black kitten purring in her arms. “What are you doing?” she asked curiously, peeking over Merlin’s shoulder into the list he was tracing with his finger on the page.

“Summoning up a True Love spell called Amas Veritas,” Merlin told her in his ‘isn’t it obvious, duh’ voice. “He can flip pancakes in the air.” Merlin gently pulled out a petal from a white rose to add to his mortar. “He’ll be marvelously kind.” He reached up for another rose petal, this time from a bloom almost at the topmost shelf. “His favourite shape will be a star.” He picked a verbena bloom carefully, before adding it into his mix. “And his eyes will be blue like the summer’s skies, they’ll be the bluest in aaaaaaall the land,” Merlin finished with a grin and a wink to Morgana, picking two bluebells and popping them into the mortar as well.

Morgana frowned at the bluebells, her voice gentle when she turned to her brother. “I thought… I thought you never wanted to fall in love, Merls. Not to mention, _he_?”

Merlin chuckled at that. “That’s the point, ‘Gana, the guy I dreamed up? Doesn’t exist. And if he doesn’t exist, I’ll never die of a broken heart, will I?” He blushed a little then. “And yeah… I… I figured there’d be even less of a chance if it’s a guy.”

Morgana’s eyes were soft. “But… do you?”

Merlin nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I… girls are nice too…”

Morgana stepped up to him, snaking her arm around his waist and leaning her chin on his shoulder. “Yes, they are, aren’t they?” 

Merlin turned his head and rubbed his nose on her cheek. Morgana grinned.

“Oh finish it then, will you?”

So Merlin stepped onto the terrace, Morgana faithfully by his side, and raised the mortar up, letting the moon shine her light upon the petals and blooms collected there. As the siblings watched, the petals started lifting up, invisible strings pulling them up up _up_ and in the light of the full, white moon, they flew away and out of sight.

_And if he doesn’t exist, I’ll never die of a broken heart…_

~x~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual, my biggest of thank yous to the marvel that is [Pelydryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pelydryn/pseuds/Pelydryn) for a gorgeous beta job. <333 i'd be lost without you <333

~x~

Years tend to rush on by when one’s young. They did speed up and slow down on occasion, both Merlin and Morgana feeling like their lives were not dissimilar to a seashore, most days. Tide would come and rush back out into the open sea, and they’d be left with whatever remained after the storm.

They’d pick up each other’s pieces, Merlin smoothing out Morgana’s edges, Morgana, hissing the bullies away, scaring them off with sparkling eyes and billowing skirts.

And so they had their aunt and uncle, they had their magic, and, most importantly, they had each other.

As years went one by one by one, Merlin and Morgana grew. Always by each other’s side, always together. They were each other’s rock, each other’s lantern in the dark. Different as they seemed, they were the same when it came to loving one another.

They loved like their magic grew, fierce and loyal and always in each other’s corner.

They were, however, different as well. While Merlin was… maybe not completely happy, but content at least, here, in the home they managed to make out of the craziness of their aunt and uncle’s house, Morgana _craved_ more. Craved as she did everything else, fiercely, loudly and with burning determination. And when Morgana was determined? Nothing and no one would ever be able to stand in her way.

~x~

He knew it’d been coming. Had known for a good long while now. Had been dreading the actual night. Did know for certain on the night of her birthday. She had blown out the candles on the cake he had baked her (with Uncle Gaius’ help, granted, but he _had_ done most of the work while Uncle Gaius had just sat on the counter with a glass of wine and ranted, so there) and she had that glint in her eyes and ---

And he just knew the time had come.

~x~

He had been looking out into the dark, pretending that the huge frames that sat upon his nose were actually helping him see _better_ in the dark when she shoved into his room. She didn’t knock. Not that she did, usually, but this time, she at least had the excuse of her hands being full.

“Merls, _Merls_ , get the door, getthedoor!!!” Morgana had giggled through her grunts as she stumbled into Merlin’s room and went straight for the balcony, a huge traveling bag slung over her shoulder.

Merlin took one last glance into the night, noting that it was warm, cloudless. The moon was full and shining bright - it gave him comfort - she’d be safe at least. The moon wouldn’t let her daughter come to harm. With a sigh, he closed the door to the terrace while Morgana heaved the bag overboard and tossed it down, straight into the arms of the man that was waiting below with a grin that lit up his face. 

“Wow…” Merlin offered, tonelessly, fingers digging into the frayed edges of the fluffy bathrobe he had wrapped himself into.

“Merls, _Merls_ , you have _no_ idea,” Morgana giggled, straddling the railing and tossing the man a bright grin of her own.

“You…” Merlin started, swallowed against a dry throat, tried again. “D’you really love him so? Enough to want to… _marry_ him one day?” he spat the word out, her youth, her spark driving a dagger into his heart.

“Oh c’mon, Merls, what’s enough?” Morgana asked, her grin still going strong, the spark in her eyes shining brighter with each little motion that drew her further from him. “I hate it here. I wanna go. I just wanna go where no one’s even heard of us. Not ever.”

Merlin flinched. He knew, he _knew_ she hated it here. She was always far more… well, it wasn’t that she was more emotional, no. It was just that she _felt_ deeper. Stronger. It hurt her more. The bullying, the taunts. The waving of ‘protective’ symbols in front of them, the crossing of the street, the… The list went on and on and _on_.

“I feel like I won’t ever gonna see you again,” Merlin whispered, hated himself for not being able to hold his tongue, _prayed_ that at least his smile held.

Morgana snorted. “Of course you’re gonna see me again, you doofus! We’re gonna grow old together. It’s gonna be you and me! Living in a big house, these two old, bat-shit-crazy, grumbly old bats with all of these cats, oh my goddess, Merls, _all.the.cats.”_

Merlin had to chuckle at that.

Morgana looked him straight in the eye and nodded, all seriousness. “I bet, we even die on the same day.”

Merlin grew serious too. “You swear?”

Morgana looked at him, really looked. Then she turned over the railing towards the man, who was, very patiently, still waiting down below for his princess to descend her tower.

“Honey,” she called in something that, Merlin thought, was probably meant to be a whisper. “I need your pocket knife!”

The man grinned, pawing around his pockets before throwing up a little blade.

“There,” Morgana whispered, a smile glinting in her eyes before she took the knife and sliced open her right palm. “My blood.” She took Merlin’s left hand and gave her cut a sibling. “Your blood.”

They clasped their bloody palms together then, Merlin finally feeling like he could smile genuinely again, like he could _breathe_.

“Our blood.”

“Our blood.”

Merlin pulled her into a hug then. “I love you, Gana.”

“I love you too, Merls.” Morgana’s smile wobbled for the first time that night as she pulled away. There was sadness there, but no regret. Merlin couldn’t begrudge her. So he made his smile stay strong and let her go, giving a little awkward wave as his baby sister clambered down from their terrace and into the arms of her beloved.

Morgana jumped onto his back with a laugh, sounding happy and free, and Merlin watched as she waved up at him, _beaming_ , as her man turned and ran out of the garden, his own laughter a little breathless, but no less happy than hers.

As he watched them go, he listened to Morgana’s happy and excited giggles and sighed. It wasn’t like he didn’t get it - he did. He understood the craving she had; he had it too, after all. For adventure, for seeing new things, meeting new people. Doing more than _meeting_ said people.

He knew what he looked like, puberty’s been more than generous to him. Where Morgana had been gorgeous even when she was little and had thus grown into an absolutely stunning creature, Merlin’s awkwardness and long, flaily limbs had taken time in evening out. He grew into his body, was _still_ growing into his shoulders even, and while he would probably never grow into his ears, his cheekbones and eyes more than made up for it. Not to mention his smile, _Smile,_ Morgana always said when they were out walking through their village, _smile and make all those bitches swoon_. And he did.

He knew full well what it felt like to be wanted. To be desired. 

He’d walk through their streets and feel eyes watching him. He’d catch those gazes, see the unwilling blushes that would follow. He’d smile. It’d be more than enough for a certain... connection. 

Not that he’d ever visited uninvited, uncalled, un… un _wanted_. And not that he’d even do it that often either. It was just that sometimes he’d get lonely. And if he did go to bed some nights and whispered a spell under his breath and waited for a call, so what? It wasn’t like he was hurting anyone.

With all the hate and gossip that went on in their little village, it seemed that far too many people desired the untouchable. It was far too easy for Merlin to hone in to those desires, to make sure that it was _him_ that the desire was directed to and then… To simply slip into said desire. He’d close his eyes, safe and sound in his bed, and open them back up again, already in someone else’s dream.

There’d be soft curves there, for his fingers to trace. There’d be a soft mouth for him to kiss. There’d be eyes, looking at him, and not hiding just how much they wanted him. Thighs would slide open, calling him between them, and when his fingers would trail over the shivering form beneath him, he’d find heat, and slickness, and invitation. One he was more than willing to accept.

Sometimes, however, instead of soft curves there’d be more edges, more sharpness, more aggression. Hands that’d touch him harder, grip him tighter, kisses that left stubble burn in their wake. Those nights, he’d be the one opening and inviting them in.

He’d wake sated, a small smile on his lips. 

If Uncle Gaius and Aunt Alice had any clue about Merlin’s nightly _adventures_ , they kept it to themselves.

So yes, Merlin understood that craving that Morgana had, the one that was now taking her away from him. He understood. Didn’t mean he didn’t resent it just a little.

Still, a sigh left his lips and Merlin raised his eyes to the full moon, sending up a prayer to the Goddess to keep his Gana safe and sound on her adventures. _May you find happiness and never forget the path leading home._

So no, it’s not like he was mad at her. No, he wasn’t mad at all. He did wish, however, that she maybe had had her adventures closer to home. Closer to him.

And it wasn’t like he was jealous either. After all, he had his nightly adventures of his own, visiting the dreams of the villagers that deemed themselves far too above him during daylight hours. It wasn’t like he was lacking anything. He was perfectly content. He was. There was nothing lacking in his life. Not a thing. Well, except for Gana, of course. 

~x~

Merlin trailed after his uncle and aunt as they made their way home from the post office.

“Good morning, ladies, how are you this fine day, Miss Ruth?” Uncle Gaius nodded his head towards a woman whose eyes bulged at being called out before she scurried off.

Uncle Gaius snorted, “Oh goddess, what _was_ I thinking.”

Aunt Alice whacked him lightly with her purse, tsking. “Would you stop already--- oh look, Morgana’s in Orlando!” she exclaimed, waving around a postcard excitedly. 

Merlin snatched the postcard, devouring each little twirl on the tiny card, gobbling up each word like a starved man.

“Guess that Leon bloke is done with, then?” Uncle Gaius huffed, unimpressed as always.

“According to this he is,” Aunt Alice confirmed with a hum, nodding to a passing by villager, who sped up and crossed the street, wincing when he couldn’t escape fast enough.

“This is insane… She keeps going through all these…” Merlin coughed, remembering the personal letters he kept receiving, “People. She keeps going through all these people,” he finished awkwardly, blushing to the roots of his hair, when Aunt Alice turned to him with a knowing look in her eyes and winked at him over her shoulder.

“Well hopefully someday she finds someone who goes through _her_ ,” Uncle Gaius harrumphed. 

“Hello~~ Hello, darling, how are you this lovely day?” Aunt Alice greeted another villager, nodding to her little girl with a smile on her face.

“Cover your eyes, don’t look at them!” the terrified mother whisper-screeched, shielding her child when the little girl didn’t follow her order fast enough.

Merlin very obviously rolled his eyes and gave the young mother an exaggerated wink, watching in amusement as the woman floundered and flushed beet-red herself.

“Oh, Al, just give it up!” Uncle Gaius scolded Aunt Alice gently, waving his folded newspaper in her general direction. 

“Never!” Aunt Alice declared, cackling gleefully and merrily ignoring her brother’s huff of exasperation. 

“Goddess, but I miss her so terribly much…” Merlin whispered, and Aunt Alice turned to him with a gentle pat to the shoulder.

“Oh sweetie…”

The rowan tree they were passing under seemed to chime softly above them, tiny leaves showering all three of them as if in a caress. Aunt Alice raised her head, watching the tree with a keen eye for a while before following after her boys. 

She caught up to them just as Uncle Gaius was strolling straight across the street and right in front of a carriage to boot - paying, as usual, exactly zero attention to how one _should_ be doing the crossing of the street. The woman driving the carriage pulled on the reins sharply, making her poor horse stumble back and whinny in confusion.

“Would you knock it off? That’s quite enough of that!” Uncle Gaius waved the woman off irritatedly, and had Merlin not been in such a maudlin mood, he would have snorted at the expression on his Uncle’s face.

“All I want is a normal life,” he mused aloud, smiling a little when Aunt Alice cooed at him in commiseration or consolation; one could never be too sure with her.

“My darling boy, when will you understand that being normal? Is not necessarily a virtue.” Uncle Gaius waved his newspaper about again, apparently using it as a fan to combat the unusually warm weather they were having. “It rather denotes a lack of courage!”

“Well,” Merlin took a deep breath, “it’s what I want nonetheless.”

Uncle Gaius just huffed his displeasure, but Aunt Alice wrapped an arm around his shoulders and raised a lace-gloved hand, pointing a finger across the street, without bothering to modulate the volume of her voice.

“You see that couple there?” she asked, pointing, and Merlin nodded (he knew them, had visited each of them in their dreams even). “He’s having an affair with the babysitter,” Aunt Alice continued, and Merlin’s lips twitched into a small smile (he had that suspicion, especially after one particular night which had been rather eye-opening when the ‘what can three people do together in bed’ sort of scenario had played out), “And she can eat a pound-cake in under a minute!” Aunt Alice finished gleefully, unaware of Merlin’s musings. Merlin snorted. Couldn’t help himself. He laughed and laughed and for a tiny, frozen moment, he missed his baby sister just a little less.

There was a young woman on the other side of the road. She was delivering flowers to a shop there. By the time the Ambrosiuses got across the road, she was done. There was wind, blowing through her long, dark locks and Merlin watched, intrigued, as she turned towards them and gave them all a smile and a nod in greeting. Merlin promptly walked straight into a pole, letting out a loud oomph.

Uncle Gaius just sighed, shook his head and herded Merlin homewards, but Aunt Alice paused and looked as the young woman - _Freya, a quick little peek inside her mind told Alice -_ hid a giggle behind her palm as she watched Merlin flail before winking at the older woman and moving on her way.

~x~

 _“Lay me down, underneath where wild rose would bloom. Lay me down, lay me down to rest,”_ Merlin was humming under his breath as he plucked weeds from their herb garden. The sun was shining, there was not a cloud in the sky and Merlin _thrived_ in the peace and tranquility of the day.

_“Lay me down, so I can rest, my weary head. Underneath a wild rose, lay me down, lay me down.”_

Morbid, yes, but it was his favorite song. Always had been.

"What time is it?" Aunt Alice whispered over the checkerboard, throwing a covert glance Merlin's way.

 _“Lay me down, so I can smell, a wild rose, that blooms above, so I can see, the petals showering me...”_ In the moment, Merlin was perfectly happy, elbows deep in the soil, plucking weed after weed; he felt like he could spend the whole day without moving from the garden.

“Any moment now,” Uncle Gaius hissed back, busying himself with the checkers, shuffling and reshuffling them on the board. They were both absolutely horrid at any and all board games. Didn’t mean they didn’t give it their best effort though. Every Thursday. Tea and a board game was what they did. Like clockwork. 

Speaking of… The bell in the clock tower in the village square began tolling just then.

“ _Lay me down, benea---”_ Merlin’s humming stopped abruptly as he raised his head, looking towards the village.

Uncle Gaius and Aunt Alice exchanged a glance, both barely biting down their grins.

Merlin stood, a streak of dirt high on his flushed cheekbone. His gloves fell to the ground one after the other as he stumbled out of the garden on unsteady feet.

“Where are you going, darling boy?” Uncle Gaius asked with a smirk wide on his face.

Merlin ignored the question.

“Most excellent,” Aunt Alice beamed, clapping excitedly.

Merlin reached their garden gate, unhooked the stopper, stepped outside and ran.

In the center of the village, Freya was making a bouquet of flowers while minding her stall.

As the bell tolled, her hands slowed, then stopped. She placed down the tulips, moved around her stall and looked down the road. The road that Merlin was now walking down, smile wide across his face. Her smile echoed his in turn. She moved before she could even think about it. Walked, rushed, ran towards him, jumping straight into his arms; her arms wrapping around his neck, legs winding around his waist, lips searching out his in a fervent kiss, certain beyond a doubt that he’d catch her. And catch her he did.

~x~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are Life.  
> xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> comments feed me soul.  
> xoxoxo

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fanfic Illustration - 'Practically Magical' 1](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28904280) by [Cosmo Cat (magicalmysticalmanservant)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicalmysticalmanservant/pseuds/Cosmo%20Cat)




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